Surfside Half

Well, this last Saturday was the Half Marathon I'd been looking forward to...It was at Surfside Beach, which is maybe about 15 minutes from home. It was a much simpler day, it seemed, than when I ran my full marathon in San Diego. I guess that's part of the beauty of racing close to home! Much cheaper too!

Anyhow....I had set my cell phone alarm to go off at I think 6 am, thinking I'd head out by around 6:30ish to get there, parked, etc. by around 7. Well...you know what they say about best laid plans! Of course, me being me, I had to snooze that cell phone a few times before I actually got up. Why my brain at early morning hours gets a warped sense of time, I'm not sure, but it does. "Sure, I can snooze til 6:20, and be gone by 6:30 still...yea, right! Well, I left home around 7, after having my little breakfast of champions of some leftover spaghetti (yes, I am weird!) and a Diet DP (uhuh..weirder still, that I don't like coffee!) and headed out to Surfside. This was the first time I'd been out there since Ike, so I wasn't real sure what to expect, especially in what the road was like, driving on the beach etc.. So, I thought I was doing the safer thing time-wise to cross the bridge and go straight to the beach and drive down it to the tent where the race headquarters were (and where my packet was awaiting me still, since youth group the night before prevented me from picking it up on Friday). Well, I think this was probably my first mistake of the day! It was slow going on the beach between the humpity-bumpity sand and all the runners up and down warming up and who I am guessing were the early starters. Not to mention the pea-soupy foggy wet air that morning too! So, I finally make it to the tent and get parked and by the time I did all that, it was probably 7:35ish...and all the prerace stuff was to start at 7:40, so thankfully there was still a decent line of people waiting to get their chips...and they couldn't start til everyone had those!

I get my stuff and they do a few group pictures and then wambamthankyoumaam before I knew it, it was on like donkey kong! We ran down toward the bridge for a little over 2 miles and then turned around...and I was feeling pretty decently strong. It was so fun too, at the point when all the fast people started coming back at us after their turn around, because you could see who was where and it gave you some good distraction! Then, the farther along I got, the more walkers and slower runners like myself were passing by and we were all woo-hooing at each other, which is always fun! So, we turn around and I'm still feeling pretty good, running pretty steady, and right around mile 4 (mile probably 7 or 8 for the fast folk way ahead!) we started getting this crazy, brutal headwind! I mean, it was like lean into the wind and run strong! Everyone where I was at was talking about how it felt like we were going straight uphill...and man, was it tough! I had hoped to try and run pretty much this entire half, and I toughed it out til about 6-1/2 miles, and then I had to walk. That wind just wore me out way more than I'd have thought! And it was weird, because it was almost like my legs started walking without my permission or much thought from me...like they had a mind of their own and just were like "doggonit, we are WALKING!" So...I complied and then when I tried to run some more it was like trying to move rubbery lead! I kept a pretty strong walking pace and got to talk to some new friends along the way, but I was only able to run for a few minutes at a time after that point.

Everyone who was up ahead and had already made the turnaround at mile 9 were telling us how great it was after you turned around. The tailwind was within my reach, and I was ready! Finally, I get to mile 9 and HALLELEUJAH (or however you spell it!) there was no more headwind. And it was much, much easier. But by now, my rubberized-lead legs were struggling, and I still only managed to run a little here and a little there. So, things are good, right? Well....for about a mile they were....and that was when the RAIN started. And I don't mean any ordinary woosy rain either....these were some honker drops that I honestly wondered if they were hail when I saw them hitting the sand in front of me! It started raining pretty good and I was actually ringing water out of my shorts.

Now, I make no bones about the fact that I carry A LOT of extra weight around....I am hoping I won't be doing this forever and that someday I will be a normal-sized human, but for now, I'm one big mama.....but holy cow--I wonder how much EXTRA weight I was hauling from water in my clothes and my shoes! I mean, I probably had the equivalent of a skinny person on my back! Wow...was I ever wet!

So, I managed to run about the last .2 or so miles back to the finish once I got there, because I was bound and determined to RUN across the finish...and there were my babies waiting on me. Craig had gotten everyone up and out there to see me finish, which was really cool. Gabriella was the first to see me and start yelling, and then the boys joined in and they were so cute cheering and jumping up and down. Nearly brought me to tears...I dont' know what it is, but there is something about being so stinkin' exhausted and seeing the ones you love that just gets to you! At least it does me! The boys were so cute "Momma, did you win the race??" Though there were finishers for the FULL marathon coming through at the same time as I did for the half, they didn't care...they were still pretty excited, which made it that much sweeter.

My final time was somewhere around 3:32, I believe. I dont' really ever go for speed, but it was slightly slower than I had hoped for. I had hoped too, that I could run most if not all of it without having to walk....but, honestly I think the wind was my biggest limiting factor. Well, that and I had been sick with a nasty cough the whole week before. But hey...I did it, and I was sooooo happy I did!

That evening, since it was Valentine's Day, Craig had arranged for one of our friends to come watch kiddos while we went to eat Carrabba's, which is about an hour away. Lemme tell you, I could hardly MOVE after riding that far! It was pretty sad! By Sunday morning, I was doing much better though....the healing of sleep is pretty amazing! By Monday, it was pretty much just what I call a "good sore" that I had left....enough to know you did something and to hurt just a little, but not so much that it really impairs your functioning.

Tonight (Wed) I ran to church, which is my first run since Saturday. It felt GREAT! It was only 2 miles, but I was still so glad I went. Anyhow.....I have been talking about this half for awhile, so I thought it only appropriate that I blog a bit about it! I'm looking forward to doing another one, and now its full steam ahead to the tri in Galveston in April....wahooooooooo!!!!!!

And.....I must say, a big huge thank you to all my friends who have been encouraging me in this journey of getting back to being healthy (and of being me again)! The encouragement, accountability, inspiration, and help of so many of my dear peeps is more of a blessing than I could have ever imagined. God is indeed good, all the time...and I am so thankful for the friends and opportunities He has given me....okay....can't resist another WAHOOO!!!! What a deal!

I am loving this running thing again!

Well...I must say, I'm having fun with the whole running thing again. Its in the place where its fun again...not the "this-is-so-hard-and-I-am-miserable" stage running is in when you first start (or in my case start back)..but in the really fun part. I do need to work on getting back with the consistency thing. That is slipping a bit, due to scheduling, mostly....ie, working an unexpected double shift at the hospital--an evening-night double at that, preaching the other week and the prep that goes into that, and just generally a lot going on. But, I am still managing to get in 3-4 runs a week...I would like to get back to the 5 or 6 a week I was doing though. I have hopes that this next week may get me going again, as I am not scheduled at the hospital for the next 2 weeks at least...we shall see! I need to get my consistency back with the eating too....we hosted the superbowl party for my youth group this last Sunday, and ....well....can I just say DERAILED! yep...why is it that when I have leftovers, I feel compelled to eat them til they are gone? Oh yea...that whole they taste so darn good thing, I guess, huh! Well...time to kick the leftovers in the butt and get back to eating how I ought to. I haven't gained any weight at all...but I haven't really lost any in a couple of weeks either, so its time to get serious again.

Okay...now to the real point of this blog! I wanted to share about my 10K I did this past weekend....because it was so stinkin' fun! I think I have shared, that I haven't run a race since 2003, when I did my marathon in San Diego. That was a year before my boys were born. Now, I don't really know if what I do is technically "racing" or not, since there is really not anyone back as far as I am running to "race" with. For me, a race is sorta just a run with a number on and some other people who finished up awhile earlier when I get finished. But, it is really motivational to hang out with everyone and have water to drink a couple of times on your run and at least a few people going "woohoo" when they see you.

Well....I hadn't really planned on doing any races until the Surfside Half in a couple of weeks from now on 2/14....but, I was on facebook last Friday night and happened to notice my super-fast friend Abbie had on her status that she was running a 10K the next morning. I was hoping to get out and run Saturday a little longer than usual, but I didn't really have a ton of time, so I wasn't sure it was going to happen or not in between all the other scheduled stuff that day. So, when I see this 10K business, I thought to myself "self, you could go run that 10K for your run tomorrow...wouldn't that be cool!" So, then and there I decided I would give it a go. It was going to cost 20 bucks, which we really didn't have to spare, but I was gonna splurge, baby...Spectacle Spectacular, here I come! Besides...it was going to go for a good cause..spectacles! For who, I am not sure, but geesh..its the Lion's club and its glasses...so, that had to be good, right?!

So, I get my clothes all together, set my cell phone alarm, and am all ready to roll the next morning. I get up and decide to hit Chick-Fil-A on my way out of LJ for a chicken biscuit (breakfast of champions, of course!) and up 288 I went to Angleton. I got there just in time to sign up and get my number pinned on and before I knew it, we were lining up to run. I went way to the back of course, as slow as I am...but I'm okay with that! There was also a 5K race going simultaneously and they stayed with us for some of the course, so that was cool, since they had walkers--I wasn't completely alone running for at least part of the race! I can run as fast as the walkers, thank you very much! Anyhow...it was a gorgeous day, pretty much perfect for running--cold and clear and sunny and beautiful. We took off from around the courthouse in Angleton and I ran and felt pretty good. Got to mile 1 and I think I was just under 13 minutes, which for me right now is pretty good, so I was happy. There was water at mile 2 and I grabbed some, and by this time, I was pretty much out on my own. There was an oldish lady (not old, but somewhat older than me...you know what I mean!) up ahead of me I could see for a little while, but then she sorta took off and left me right around 2 or 2-1/2 miles or so...she was a beast, I tell ya! Anyhow...I told them at the water station as I was passing by that they could probably pack up and go after I was past, since I was the last one. They were so sweet and told me "ah, c'mon..there's always someone behind you!" and I had to tell them...well...no really--I was pretty sure I was it! They laughed and I ran on.....There was one point where we went around a little loop-ti-loop in a neighborhood and that concerned me a little, because there were no cones there, and by this time...no runners in sight but me! So, I followed the directions of the race volunteer at the corner and the spraypaint on the pavement and went on around--but it was pretty much all on my own! There was an estate sale going on at a house on the street I thought about stopping in to see, but then didnt...(just kidding!) anyhow...I kept on and there was more water at mile 4, and I kept going and then about mile 5, a coupla high school girls came out to finish up the last mile with me. One of them is a cross country girl from Bwood who is a bit of a local celebrity and an amazing runner--I see her all over town and she is FAST! The other was a sweet gal from Alvin who I think runs cross country too. These 2 girls were so sweet--they made this old fat momma who has lost lots of cool points feel good, especially by this point in the run! They were laughing at the stuff I had on my ipod and telling me about their running and asking me about mine and they made that last mile go super fast. Poor things...I felt bad for them though, because I think it was probably torture for them to have to run as slow as I was going! They were super sweet though, and a real blessing.

Anyhow...got to the end without having walked any of it, which was exciting. I think my Nike ipod needs calibrated again though, because it seems it gave me about an extra tenth of a mile every mile I ran...so it said I did 6.76 miles. It also said I did it in an hour and 28 minutes for a pace of 13:01 minutes/mile. I know its slightly slower than that, due to the distance being off, but it was still probably one of my fastest runs to date, and I was tickled snotless with it!

So, I get to the finish, and nobody is outside anymore and the time clock is already put up...but I didn't care because it felt GREAT! I so enjoyed it and it motivates me to keep working. And, I got my run in, which was sorta doubtful before I decided to do the race. I went into the church that was hosting the race, and found my super fast friends Abbie and Donnie and talked to them a bit, (they had already been back, for like an hour or so!) and as I was talking, I decided I probably should turn in the taggie thing from my number...you know, just so they didn't think I was dead on the road or anything. So, I go turn it in and said "hey, here's this, just so ya'll know I'm not dead" and we sorta laughed--haha--and then the funniest thing happened....they guy I gave it to came back to me a few minutes later and said "hey, it's a good thing you gave me that tag, because I think you got an age group award!"....HOW FUNNY IS THAT??!!! I was cracking up! Time clock was put up and everything, and I ended up getting 5th place in my age group--because, I suppose, there were 5 entered in my age group! I got a medal and everything....how stinkin' funny is that?! I was laughing at myself they whole way back home! I was so glad I went out!!!

Probably the best part about it all though, was just the encouragement I received...from being able to do it without walking, of course, knowing I can still complete a race, and from my friends and the other folks there who I've never even seen before, who encouraged me just by being there. Everyone was so positive and encouraging Saturday....no matter how slow I was. From the ladies at the registration table, to the other runners, to the water table volunteers and others, to the girls who ran me to the finish-- What a gift to be there and experience that! I truly enjoyed it, and I was sooooooo glad I decided to go!

So....next.....Surfside, here I come! Guess I better get to bed now though, so I can maybe get my big bootay out of bed and get a run in tomorrow morning! I don't want to get up at the buttcrack, but I proably should...so....gnight for now!